October 1920

Friday 1st   There were a few slight showers, but there was a strong wind blowing from SW which dried up the ground more than the showers wet it.  I sowed flower seeds in boxes.  I sent my watch by Arthur Greenwood to Warkworth to be repaired.  In the evening Mr Gorringe of the Agricultural Department gave a very interesting lecture on Pig breeding & management which was much appreciated, there was a good attendance.

Saturday 2nd   It was a fine day, but rather dull,  The boys were stumping & burning in the front ready for ploughing,  I planted a Canterbury Bell that Ivy gave me, also a Scabious.  Took flowers down to the church in the afternoon.

Sunday 3rd   It was fine in the morning with the exception of a slight shower, but it rained in the evening.  Eddie Birdsall came home from the Ratepayers meeting and stayed the night, he went to Church with us in the afternoon.
Mr & Mrs W. Harper’s infant daughter was baptised , Mr Hawksworth  preached a good sermon.  There were 45 present,  Collection 27/-.  I went to Gravatts for tea.

Monday 4th   The wind is SE, but it is a fine day.  Jim commenced to plough the front, after hunting for slugs & tieing up the sweet peas I was helping them clear the land , cutting tea tree & fern and making fires,  I also cleared out on the road.

Tuesday 5th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was ploughing in the front.  In the morning I was cutting & burning tea tree & fern.  In the afternoon I was digging between the cabbages.

Wednesday 6th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was drilling Wheat & Oats at Arthur Wilsons.  Eddie was knocking out stumps where they are ploughing.  I stuck the 2 rows of Peerless Peas.

Thursday 7th   There was a strong & cold SW wind blowing which made it very uncomfortable.  Jim finished drilling at A. Wilsons in the am & was ploughing in the orchard in the pm.  I sowed 2 rows of Pale Dun Beans.

Friday 8th   It was a fine day.  I was digging, up in the garden.  Posted a letter to Willie in the morning, bought a file & sharpened my grafting tool.  There was a hard up social in the Hall in the evening, I did not go.

Saturday 9th   It was a fine day, ‘tho dull.  I finished digging the piece that I commenced, then I dug between the Cabbages .  In the morning I wend down for the overland mail, and took flowers for the church.  Jim was ploughing in the front.

Sunday 10th   It was a fine day, tho dull.  Charlie & Maggie were here for dinner & Alf Dunning here for tea.  I conducted service in the Church in the afternoon.  20 present.  Collection 8/3

Monday 11th   It was a very fine day.   Jim was ploughing in the front. Eddie & Charlie were burning near the Cottage.  I replanted some Cabbages & Cauliflowers, also dug between the Tomatoes & Silver Beet.
Eddie Wyatt paid me £24 , being 1 Quarter’s Interest on £1600 balance of purchase money due on the sale of the farm to Oct 12th 1920.

Tuesday 12th    It was a very hot day.  It is 3 months today since Eddie took possession of the farm.  In the morning I went down to the village to get the mail, I received a letter from Willie.  I lodged £16 in the P.O. Bank.  I finished digging the piece I started yesterday.  I planted out some Lackspur & Godetia plants that Maggie gave me.  I took up and bundled 400 Onion plants.  Jim was ploughing, but he did not feel well & thinks it is the flu coming along. I received a wire from Jack in the afternoon.

Wednesday 13th   It was very misty on the ranges first thing in the morning but I did not think it was going to rain.  I took down 400 Onion plants to Gus Neeley and went with him in the cream wagon as far as Ti Point road and walked on to Joes place, had lunch with Minnie & Mr T  and had a look round Minnies garden.  She gave me some Tomato plants.  There was a driving rain when when I was coming home & I got very wet.

Thursday 14th    It was a very fine day after the rain yesterday, but the ground was too wet to work it, so in the morning I was making heaps in the front where Jim was ploughing.
In the afternoon I planted 4 Tomato plants that Minnie gave me yesterday, I raked down some of the lumps on the dug ground and tied up the Sweet Peas.

Friday 15th   It was a fine day., but there was a cap on the Barrier and indications of rain.  I went down to the village in the morning to post some letters, dug some ground the top side of the house.  Minnie came in the afternoon for the little table & looking glass.  I took the table down to the gate & Mr A. Dunning Jnr  was going to cart it over to Ti Point.  Minnie had a look round the garden & I made her a cup of tea & she carried the looking glass home.
I went down for the mail in the evening.

Saturday 16th   It was very dull when we got up and it set in rain, and rained steadily until 2 pm when it cleared up.  I then went up to the garden  and caught the slugs in the traps between the peas, gathered some Roses and took them to Mrs Arthur Greenwood and changed some Library books.

Sunday 17th   It was a fine day with the exception of a shower after dinner.  I attended the presbyterian service (Revd Poole) in the am. Went to Mr Gozars in the pm and staid for tea.

Monday 18th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was carting road metal for the R.C.C.  I was working up at the garden .  Commenced to dig in the Swed Turnips that had gone to seed.

Tuesday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was carting road metal.  I finished digging the piece of ground I started yesterday.  As the Dun Beans had not come up I resowed the two rows with Canadian Wonder Beans , also sowed a row of Red Beet  (Dell’s Blood Red).

Wednesday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was carting road metal. They put the cows into our orchard where there is a lot of feed.
I beat down & dug up again the piece of ground I wish to plant in Onions.  Went down to the village in the afternoon and heard that the steamer was not leaving Auckland until 11 oclock tonight.  I left 200 Onion plants at the store for Mr Gozar.

Thursday 21st    It was a very fine day.  I wrote and posted a letter to my brother Henry in the morning.  Mrs W. Dunning gave birth to a son in the Warkworth Hospital last night.  Jim was carting road metal.

Friday 22nd    It was a very fine day.  Jim was carting road metal.
I took up 500 Onion plants for Willie Harper and 800 which I am sending to Matakana tomorrow by Gus Neeley.

Saturday 23rd   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went up to the garden to pick some flowers to take to Jane.  I went over to Jim’s place in the cream cart.  In the afternoon we went down to the domain and the young people played Tennis.  Pat & Archie & Jim Dunning , Jack Walden,  Johny Greenwood,  Winnie Whitaker, Minnie & Jane  were playing.  Doreen Williams came to stay with Jane so I had to sleep with Jim.

Sunday 24th   It was a fine day.  I went to Mr Whitakers in the morning and staid dinner, there was a large party of us , besides their own family there was Johny Greenwood,  Mrs Everard Brown and myself – spent a very pleasant day there, Jim put the young horse into the sulky and drove over to Leigh.

Monday 25th   It was fine, but threatening for rain.  I left Jims after breakfast, called in at Holders and then walked to catch the cream cart to take me back to Leigh.  There was a working bee at the Tennis Court.  Went up to the garden morning & afternoon, but did not do much work, as there was a strong wind and I was afraid of my back.

Tuesday 26th   The rain has not come yet although it is still threatening, wind strong from N.  Jim was carting road metal.  Mrs Haskell & May Dunning were here for dinner.  I was working up in the garden both morning and afternoon.  I put horse manure round some Roses & other plants,  transplanted 3 Penstemons and resowed several flower seeds in the boxes that had not come up.
The steamer came today instead of tomorrow.

Wednesday 27th   Still threatening for rain.  Jim was carting road metal.  I went up to the garden in the morning, I loosened round and manured some Roses, I transplanted 3 Fuschia that Mr Rodney gave me.  In the afternoon it came on a driving rain, I went to Arthur Greenwoods to change my Library books.

Thursday 28th    It was a thorough wet day, it held up a little in the afternoon and I went to Arthur Greenwoods to change my Library books.

Friday 29th   It was a very fine day, after the rain which has freshened up everything.  I wrote a letter to my son Jack and Eddie posted it at Whangateau P.O – on his way to parade at Matakana.
Jim was ploughing and he struck a patch of gum.  I was making heaps and burning them in the front ready for ploughing.  I went for the mail in the evening, I received letters from Grace and Mr Wallace.

Saturday 30th  It was fine during the day.  Went down to the village in the morning, met Jane & Jim, Jane & the baby were going to Auckland by the steamer which left here at noon.  Lily is expected to arrive in Auckland soon and Jane was going to return with her to Te Araroa on a visit.  I called at Mrs Gravatts.  Jim was ploughing and found a lot more gum .  I planted 29 Cabbage plants.  It rained in the evening.

Sunday 31st   It was a very fine day, ‘tho windy.  Revd Hawksworth should have had service in the afternoon, but he sent word he was not coming as he had been detained at Paparoa.  I did not hold service instead, but seized the opportunity of visiting my old friends the John Greenwoods.  I went up in the cream wagon (Mr Turtley) and spent a very pleasant day.  Walked down in the evening.